Magnetic ore-separator



(No M odel.) s Sheets-Sheet 2.

o. T. THOMPSON a R. H. SANDERS. MAGNETIC ORE SEPARATOR..

N.v47o,455. Patented Ma.1.8,`1892.

INVENTORS:

Wwf-7%@ l 3Shee11sSheet 3. "0. T. THGMPSON `Sn R. H. SANDERS.

(No Model.)

MAGNETIC GRE SBPARATOR..

anted Mar. 8, 1892.

INVENTQRS me mms wenns oo., wwwrun.. yvAsmunTaN, n. c.

i UNTTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. THOMPSON AND RICHARD H. SANDERS, OF PHILADELPHIA,

- PENNSYLVANIA.

MAGNETIC ORE-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,455, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed 'April16, 1891. Serial No. 389,1661 (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES T. THOMP- soN and RICHARD H. SANDERs, bothof'Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magnetic Separators for Ore and Similar Material, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. l

In said drawings, which show a convenient Vembodiment of our invention, Figure l represents a front elevation of the separator; Fig. 2, an end view thereof, and Fig. 3 a vertical section on the line :n of Fig. 2.

Broadly speaking, our improvements consist in combining with a hollow rotatable drum a stationary magnet placed exterior to the drum and having poles which closely envelop a portion of the periphery thereof, the wall or shell of the drum being of such character and the magnet of such energy as to insure the formation 0f a magnetic field throughout a portion of the interior of the drum. A discharge-chute is arranged within the drum beneath the upper limit of said magnetic field, and suitable means are employed to rotate the drum and cause the travel of the stock through it longitudinally. The material to be treated is fed in at one end of the drum and caused to travel, preferably by gravity, toward the other end. During such travel the portions of the material which are susceptible to magnetic action are attracted toward that part of the interior shell of the drum which is for the time being immediately within the magnetic eld, and are held against the inner surface of the drum (the refuse dropping down) until the rotation thereof has raised them to the upper limit of the magnetic field, which overhangs the chute. As soon as that portion of the drum against which they have been held moves past said limit, they drop off therefrom into the chute and are removed, preferably by gravity, to a suitable receptacle.

Minor features of improvement consist in means whereby differences of energy in different parts of the magnetic field may be utilized for effecting a graded separation of the material.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a rectangular open frame-work, which is pref-- erably tilted or inclined as a whole upon its supports B. Within said frame is mounted the separating-drum,which in the present instance is a hollow cylinder C, supported and driven as follows: Around its periphery at one end is a projecting annular flange D, provided with half-shrouded gear-teeth d, which engage with the similarly half-shrouded teeth of a pinion D', mounted upon a driving-shaft F. Guide-rollers E and E', mounted upon the frame A and having peripheral grooves adapted to receive the projecting portions of the teeth CZ, receive and support the flange D. At the other end of the cylinder an annular flange c extends around the periphery, and is re-l y ceived and guided by flanged rollers E?, E3, and E4, the first of which is mounted upon the end of the driving-shaft F. The cylinder is thus freely supported for rotation, but endwise movement is prevented by the engagement of the flanges D and c with their respective guiding-rollers.

The wall or shell ofthe cylinder should of course be of such a character as not to substantially interfere with the formation of a y magnetic field throughout a portion of its ininder, to employ a magnet of energy more than sufficient to magnetically saturate so much of the Wall as would otherwise interfere. In such case the surplus lines of force will be projected into the interior of the cylinder and will produce the necessary field, the interposed Wall being, when saturated, substantially non-interfering so far as such surplus is concerned. Hence while we prefer to use nonmagnetizable material-such as Wood or brass--for the wall of the cylinder, (because'we thereby are enabled to use a magnet of less energy,) we do not limit ourroo in position relativelytothe cylinder.

selves to the employment of such materials, and whenin ourV- claimsV we use the expression substantially nonfinterfering to describe the nature of the wall we mean that it is of such a character with reference to the energy of the exterior magnet as to be incapable of retaining within itself or cutting off the whole of the lines of force which that magnet is capable of projecting.

Adjacent to that side of the cylinder at which the driving-shaft is situated, and which for convenience will be termed the front, is arranged a powerfulmagnet,.which is preferably constructed as follows: WVitliinastout frame-work l, mounted upon the frame-A, is-

rigidly mounted a horizontal horseshoe electromagnet J, a portion of Whose coils are indicated'atG, the terminals g g being connected with a dynamo or other suitable generator of electricity. To the ends of the horseshoe are secured wrought-iron plates H.

forced, if desired, throughout a portion of their` are by means of short backing-platesh h', or theyl may be otherwise stayed or maintained plates yH and H thus constitute enlarged polesof the magnet, closely enveloping substantially onehalf of the exterior periphery -lofz thecylinder and capable of actingthrough its shell upon magnetizable substances within it.

An inclined chute K runs through the interior ofthe cylinder beneath the upper limit `of the lnagnetic iield.l `A diaphragm K extends acrossthis chute a short ldistance above different longitudinal part of the cylinder andcommunicateswith a separate receiver, as indicated at 7c 7c k2, respectively.

A delivery chute M for the ore O leads into= the higher end of the cylinder, and a dis-v charge-,chute N for the refuse lea-ds from the lowerend of the cylinder.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The' driving-shaft F being suitably actuated,

the cylinderrotates and the ore or other ma-Y terial, which is `fed in at a proper rate of speed, travelsalongthe-inner surface. The magnet being energized, the enlarged polesl thereof H H create a strong magnetic field throughout the proximate portion of the in- Thevcular band or belt adjacent to the line intermediate between the edges of the two poles H H', and by reason of this increase in the intensity of the field the portions of the ore 'least susceptible to magnetic iniuence (and therefore presumably less rich) will be retained there, even though they have prevlously passed through the lessintense part of the field without detention. The :arrangement of the diaphragms K. Kz'issuchthat the ore which has been retained in-this central part ofl the cylinder dropsfupon the-,diaphra gm K and passes off to a separate trough lc', the second diaphragm K2 receiving that part of the ore which is detained inthe field beyond the belt of greatest intensity and discharging it into a third trough athe three troughs leading to distinct receivers.

In the foregoing description we have specified the use `of a single horseshoe-magnet'as the simplest type of our invention; `but obviously a plurality of magnets might beaemployed without aifectingthe general mode of operation. Hence in using the Word magnet in our claims we are not to be understood'as limiting the invention to onesuch device, but in a sensebroad enough to include any number of magnets and any grouping or arrangement of their poles around the exterior of the separating-drum. Te'vhave also indicated the entire'frameA astilted or inclined, that being the preferred form; but obviously this detail of construction .can `be varied without changing the principleof operation, provided proper means be employed for causing the gradual travelof the ore or other material through the cylinder-'as the latter rotates.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The combination of a rotatableghollow drum having a substantially non-interfering wall, a stationary magnet whose' poles closely envelop a portion of the exterior periphery of said drum, and a'ehute arranged within the drum beneath the upper limit ofthe magnetic field, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotatablehollow IOC IIO

IZO

3. The combination of a rotatable hollow Within said drum beneath the upper limit 1o drum having a substantially non-interfering of the magnetic field, substantially as set Wall and having annular ianges around its forth. ends, one of which flanges is provided with gear-teeth, a driving-pinion engaging with said teeth, guide-rollers engaging with said flanges, a stationary magnet Whose poles Vitnesses:

CHAS. T. THOMPSON.. RICHARD H. SANDERS.

closely envelop a portion of the exterior pe- JAMES H. BELL,

riphery of said drum, and a ehnte arranged E. REESE. 

